The current hysteria will start abating once the true scale of the long term economic damage becomes apparent. By the end of the year. By this time next year no one will give a damn about COVID-19 because they will have far more important things to worry about. Like the worst economic depression since the 1930's.

This is not going to be like the Mad Cow Disease fiasco. Which only destroyed one small part of the economy for over a decade. Whole sectors of the economy have been effectively destroyed. Almost two decades of economic growth and job creation. Already gone.

So in the meantime how best to get through the current insanity. Because individual acts of civil disobedience in the middle of mass hysteria has zero effect. Reason and information helps you not get caught up in the hysteria. That's all.

I use the example of the utterly idiotic TSA rules while traveling to the US. The TSA have a almost perfect record of failure during security audit tests. The shoe and belt rule is based on zero actual plausible security risk. The shoe bomber was only allowed on the plane due to the human rights laws (I am not making this up - covered in French press). The 100ml liquid rule has zero actual plausible security risk . The whole operation from start to finish is just security theater to give governments plausible deniability when the next attack happens. No other reason.

So just like the current COVID hysteria. Actual risk minimal real health risk but governments must be seen to do something. No matter how stupid. So do you refuse to abide by utterly pointless security theater and not travel anywhere. Or do you find ways of getting around it until it is wound down, which it always is, or governments have something more important to pretend to do something about.

So if the Test and Trace app become mandatory in order to go about ones daily life in the near future do you make individual gestures which will have zero impact except maybe a small glow of self-righteousness, but cause you great personal inconvenience. Or do you come up with ways of subverting the whole process until it goes away. Which the app most certainly would.

Maybe its because I have known so many Eastern Europeans and Russians over the years who escaped from the Soviet Block and am very familiar will all the ways the locals used to subvert the power of a totalitarian state to survive, which they all did, that my reaction in these situations is to inform myself and then find ways of subverting the intrusive powers of the state. Until it goes away. Eventually.

I received a round robin email today reminding me to download the test and trace app. I have absolutely no intention of doing so, but having skimmed the privacy notice there is an email address where you can ask to manage any information you do provide. I wondered if it is worth responding to this email in the following way

I would like it noted that I fundamentally disagree with the Covid 19 track and trace system. I believe it is a criminal waste of taxpayers money and should be stopped immediately.
My reasons for this objection:
Covid 19 is not dangerous to the vast majority of the population.
Tracking and tracing unnecessarily isolates thousands of healthy people
The economy cannot recover with constant lock downs
The education system is being crippled by constant lock down.
Human relationships and mental health are being pushed to breaking point by isolation.
The money and energy spent on track and trace should be used to protect the vulnerable.
Testing is neither efficient, effective, or infallible.
The Government response to Covid 19 is vastly disproportionate to the threat the virus poses.
I will not participate in Track and Trace.

I would need to provide proof of identity, which I'm not adverse to doing. Any thoughts?

I have no intention of downloading the app. As others have pointed out it's a huge waste of money and leaves users vulnerable to enforced detention as a result of incompetence or malice. Yesterday I checked my phone at 610pm to find a text message sent at 305pm inviting me to a Coronavirus test that day at 6pm in Nottingham 200 miles away. It then gave a completely different name and DoB to my own! This has encouraged me in future to give a false name and number tin future when asked to do manual track and trace. It could save a lot of bother later.

Has anyone actually downloaded or used it?

I haven't.

Very sensible! You might as well give Boris Johnson and Pratt Wancock the keys to your front door or invite them to be with you 24/7. Err, no!

Has anyone actually downloaded or used it?

I haven't.

Very sensible! You might as well give Boris Johnson and Pratt Wancock the keys to your front door or invite them to be with you 24/7. Err, no!

Get a positive test first (true or false will do). Then invite them.